Strategies to Encourage Student Motivation and Engagement Using Digital and Multimodal Literacies

 

Introduction

The theme of this blog is to examine the relationship of digital and multimodal literacies and the potential impacts on student engagement and motivation.  In my previous posts, I have explained how digital and multimodal literacies can be used to support motivation in early and adolescent learners, as well as how they can help struggling readers.  This post will strive to give examples and ideas of how to use and support digital and multimodal literacies in the classroom for a variety of learners from studies conducted by researchers. 

E-Books and Digital Readers

As previously mentioned, digital texts can provide a range of accessibility functions for students to have more positive experiences with reading.  In a case study with a class of second graders by Larson (2010), it was found that by allowing students to have autonomy with the e-readers and texts that the students were engaged and more motivated in the reading practices.  In this classroom, the teacher had access to two e-readers that would be shared amongst the students.  After modeling the procedures, the students were then allowed to utilize the e-readers.  The teacher suggested what story the students could read, and also allowed them to use functions of the digital tool to input their reader responses to the text.  This study also shows that with limited digital resources, such as only having access to two e-readers, classroom routine and modeling could be used in order to promote digital and multimodal literacies in the classroom, and potentially creating engaged and motivated readers. 

In another study by Larson (2015), a case study was conducted with sixth graders in which they were each given an e-reader and a set of headphones in order to utilize the audiobook function of the text.  The researcher found that students were able to customize their reading experiences by using different tools and functions of the e-readers.  This customization allowed for students to be more motivated and engaged in their reading.  One of the important findings was that while students were using the audiobook function, they were able to set their own paces for reading and even realized themselves that they were increasing their reading stamina by staying engaged in reading for longer periods of time.  The ability to use e-readers with audiobook functions is helpful for adolescent readers to develop stamina, gain confidence, and motivate them to engage in reading behaviors. 

Collaborative Play, Blogs, and Camps

In early childhood classrooms, play-based literacy practices can also be applied to the integration of teaching digital and multimodal literacies.  Wohlwend (2015) explains in her article that the use of digital storytelling apps and touchscreen devices can be included in the early childhood classroom.  The article explains that the use of even one digital device that is introduced into classroom activities in order to promote peer collaboration in order to support their learning.  The sociocultural perspective on learning promotes this peer interaction to provide a zone of proximal development in which to learn new tasks.  The zone of proximal development is a part of learning that occurs between a student’s independent and frustration level of learning.  Wohlwend’s article reassures that although play and learning on one device with a group of students may look “messy,” this collaboration and peer interaction is a positive learning experience in which young readers can participate in early literacy tasks. 

Collaboration with digital and multimodal tools can also be achieved in the adolescent reader environment.  In an article by Morgan (2015), it is suggested that collaboration with peers can be promoted through the creation of a class blog.  With extensive modeling and teaching of procedures, students can engage in digital literacy practices that allow them to share learning in multimodal ways.  By providing the autonomy to share and communicate what they have learned in multiple ways, students can become more motivated and engaged in their literacy learning. 

In an article by Zoch, et al. (2014), a digital writing camp was provided to a group of elementary students who had experienced limited access to technology and digital tools.  It is explained that through the teaching of digital and multimodal literacies in a format that is focused on writing, students can collaborate and share experiences together in order to create a community of learners.  By giving students the opportunity to choose their genres and topics for writing, students can also be motivated to engage in writing tasks.  Overall, creating a safe digital community and supporting autonomy, even in a short period of time can help to motivate students while using digital and multimodal literacies

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Guided Inquiry, Story Projects, and Multimodal Learning Clubs

Educators can promote literacy practices while using digital and multimodal tools by engaging in guided-inquiry with their students.  Hoch (2019), et al. mentions in their article that teachers should focus on five key principles when implementing instruction with multimodal texts:  1) attend to motivation and engagement, 2) selecting sources carefully, 3) using inquiry to frame instruction, 4) supporting student’s syntheses, and 5) providing authentic writing for audiences and purposes.  For the purposes of this blog, I will focus on the first, and quite possibly the most important principle.  The authors of this article explain that educators can use the guided inquiry process to empower students by promoting student’s voices and choices in literacy practices.  This empowerment can engage and motivate students in literacy practices while learning digital and multimodal literacies. 

Digital storytelling projects, as explained by Morgan (2014), can provide benefits to students learning in that it “keeps students motivated, helps them function well in their digital world, promotes academic gains in literacy, and facilitates learning of a subject matter because technological tools allow students to perceive and create content through various formats including graphic images, audio, video, music, etc.”  This practice of allowing students to engage in a storytelling process that uses digital and multimodal literacies can create positive literacy experiences for students in order to engage and motivate them in reading and writing. 

Websites with Examples of Digital Stories

• Educational Uses of Digital Storytelling

(http://digitalstorytelling.coe.uh.edu)

• Creative Narrations

(http://www.creativenarrations.net/stories)

As for adolescent readers, the implementation of multimodal learning clubs can be used as a strategy to integrate digital and multimodal literacies in order to engage in reading and writing practices (Casey, 2012).  These multimodal learning clubs include using classroom curriculum in ways that allow for students to work collaboratively, make choices in their learning, and have autonomy in how they share their knowledge.  This practice has the qualities of what is necessary in order to support engagement and motivation in the adolescent literacy classroom.  

Conclusion

It is my hope that this post has provided my readers with ideas and strategies that can incorporate digital and multimodal literacies into already existing classroom practices.  By using digital tools such as e-readers, even one or two, can help to accommodate students learning for more positive learning experiences.  Allowing for collaboration and sharing within safe digital and classroom communities can be supportive of student literacy learning.  Finally, inquiry and storytelling in the classroom environment can support multiple literacies.  These were organized purposefully to provide the simplest suggestions first and progressing to more involved and integrated learning.  In my future posts, I will be sharing my own experiences with implementing digital and multimodal literacies in my own practice.    

References